bradeen



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

PatentedDeoJQ, 1882.

H. O. BRADEBN 8v S. BRIGGS.

SKELP HEATING FURNACE.

fm/ enior I jay, 5.

( No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCEQ HIRAM C. BRADEEN AND SAMUEL BRIGGS, OFMOKEESPORT, PA.

SKELP-HEATING FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,380, dated December19, 1882. Application filed February (5, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HIRAM O. BRADEEN andSAMUEL BRIGGS, both of McKeesport, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful 1mprovement inSkelp-Heating' Furnaces; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to the construction of skelp-heating furnaces; andit is designed to obviate a difficulty heretofore experienced, whichconsists in the unequal heating of the skelps therein. As heretoforecoustructed,the air and gas have been thrown into the furnace from asingle combining-fine, and as the furnace is long, necessarily, for thepurpose oftakingin the long skelp, the tendency of the draft andpressure has been to carry the heat from the fines to the farthest endof the furnace and over the front end of the skelp without properlyheating it at that place. The result of this unequal temperature of thefurnace is that the skelp is often burned in one part and imperfectlyheated in another, which produces great loss in the operation of thefurnace.

Our invention consists mainly in the use of a distributing andequalizing chamber which serves to reduce the pressure of the gas,provided with a series of fines which lead to the regenerator at variouspoints, ize the distribution of the gas.

It also consists in certain details of construction which willhereinafter more fully appear.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill now describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a vertical cross-section of the furnace and itsregenerators on the line I K of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionon the line E F G H of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectionon the line A B O D of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of theregenerator-fiue valves, and Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sectional viewsof the same with the valves in reverse positions.

The bed a of the furnace is long and narrow, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.Beneath it are the regenerators b b 0 c, the regenerators b I) being forthe air and the regenerators c 0 being for the gas. The fines leading tothe bed a of the furnace are shown at (Z d and e 6.

so as to equal- Arranged centrally between the regenerators c c is acentral gas-distributing chamber, f, from the bottom of which, leadingdownward to the lateral fines h h, are drop-fines g 9, said fines g gbeing controlled by sliding valves 11 i, working on the bottom of thechambcrf by means of rods The gas is supplied to the chamberf by a pipeor conductor, 70, and passes thence down through the ports 9 or g, andby lateral fiues It or it under the walls I linto the regeuerator c orc. There are one or more of the passages g h leading from the chamberftoeach regenerator, which passages, being arranged at suitableintervalsunder the entire length of the furnace, cause the gas to besupplied by the regenerator in such a manner that it shall pass thenceup through the lines e e and be distributed equally to all parts ofthcbed. The air-flues (1 cl run up from the regenerators b I) back of thefines e 0, so as to cause the air to be commingled with the gas at itsentrance into the bed.

As heretofore constructed, the regeneratorfines which lead to thestack-line 0 have been of reduced cross-sectional area and made withabrupt curves or angles where theyrun into the stack-fine. This impedesthe draft and causes the regenerator to become foul and choke. I curethe defect by running the fines m m n n together by converging linesleading directly from the regenerator, substantially preserving thesame'cross-sectionalarea throughout, thus avoiding abrupt angles orcurves, which would impede the draft or cause the fouling of the fines.Each of the fines m m n n is controlled by a separate valve, 19 p q q.The valves of each pair of flues (there being one on each side) aremounted upon a single shaft, 0'. The air-flue is larger than thegas-flue, and the valve of the air-fine is consequently larger than thevalve of the gas-flue. p q q are simple fiaps or doors, mounted on theshafts r, so as to turn therewith. Attached to the larger valve 1) or pof each shaft is a rod, 8, by which it may be opened or closed. Theair-supply opening it is above the valve, so that when the valve isdrawn up to open the fine for the passage of the waste gases to thestack-fine 0 it will close the air-opening t. As the air and gas valvesare on the same shaft, the closing of the air-opening tand opening ofthe air-flue to the stack also opens the The valves 19 gas-flue to thestack. WVhen the air-supply t is open the gas-flue valve n or a must beclosed as the gas is entering through chamberf; but when the waste heatis going out it passes through both air and gas flues on that side.Consequently the valves must both be open for exit and only the air-fluefor inlet purposes. This construction has its necessity and value fromthe fact that the gas is supplied to the regenerators by an independentchamber, flue, or pipe, and not by means of the fines an.

To prevent the valves from leaking, we form in the bottom of the flue,where they strike it, a lateral recess, a. which is tilled With clay orluting, so that when the edge of the valve comes down to place it willbury itself therein and (lose thejoint tightly. By this means We areable to close the flues tightly, and to obtain a more perfect control ofthe draft and operation of the furnace.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- l. A Skelp-heating or similar furnace having, in combination withthe gas-regenerators, a gas distributing and equalizing chamber providedwith a series of fines controlled by valves leading into thegas-regenerators at different points along and under the entire lengthof the bed, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, in a skelp-heating furnace, of a gas-distributingchamber, a regenrator, a series of gas-tines leading from thedistributirig-chamber to the regenerator, a furnace-hearth, and a seriesof gas-flues leading from the regenerator to the hearth, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a regenerator-furnace, of a gas-distributingchamber having a valved flue or flues leading to the gas-regenerator,and eXit-flues leading from the air and gas regenerators to the stack,each provtded with a valve, the valves of the same side he, iug arrangedon and actuated by a stem or shaft common to both valves, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

4. In a regenerator, the combination of a flap-valve with a fine havinga recessed bottom tor the reception of luring material, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 24th dayofJanuary, A. D. 1882.

HIRAM G. BRADEEN, SAMUEL BRIGGS.

\Vitnesses:

J AMES K. BAKEWELL, JAMES H. FORTE.

